Radiation curable fluids

ABSTRACT

A radiation curable fluid includes a vinylether (meth)acrylate monomer, a compound including a sulfonic acid group, and a polymeric dispersant including heterocyclic groups having hetero atoms consisting of one or two nitrogen atoms.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a 371 National Stage Application ofPCT/EP2013/062510, filed Jun. 17, 2013. This application claims thebenefit of European Application No. 12175710.8, filed Jul. 10, 2012,which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to radiation curable fluids, particularlyto radiation curable inkjet inks for industrial inkjet printing methods.

2. Description of the Related Art

In industrial ink jet systems, there is a constant demand for increasedprinting speeds in combination with high image quality. The new printheads, designed for increasing printing speed, only operate with verylow viscous inkjet inks. Radiation curable inkjet inks are particularlypreferred because high quality images can be printed on non-absorbingink-receivers. Suitable monomers to obtain such very low viscous ink jetinks have been described, for example, in EP 997508 A (AGFA) thatdiscloses radiation curable monomers containing vinylether and acrylatefunctions.

Printing systems, such as offset and flexography, are being increasinglyreplaced for packaging applications by industrial inkjet printingsystems due to their flexibility in use, e.g. variable data printing,and due to their enhanced reliability, allowing their incorporation intoproduction lines, e.g. for printing on packaging. The use of low viscousvinylether acrylate monomers has revealed some drawbacks forreliability, especially regarding yellowing and constant ink viscosity.

Yellowing is a well-known degradation process in the polymerization ofmonomers, which may be initiated or accelerated by numerous factorsincluding ultraviolet light (UV), visible light, ozone and otherextraneous pollutants, intrinsic manufacturing impurities, oxygen, andheat.

One approach to reduce this deterioration is to add stabilizers such asantioxidants and UV stabilisers during manufacturing of the radiationcurable fluids. However, the addition of UV stabilizers tends to reducethe curing speed of a UV curable fluid. US 2008299489 A (HP) disclosesan ultraviolet curable coating fluid including a polymerizable olefinmonomer or monomer blend that undergoes self-photoinitiatingpolymerization when exposed to a predetermined ultraviolet wavelengthrange, and a predetermined amount of an ultraviolet absorbing imagestabilizer that has minimal absorption in the predetermined ultravioletwavelength range.

US 2011183081 A (SEIKO EPSON) discloses a photocurable ink compositionincluding a polymerizable compound; an acylphosphine oxide-basedphotopolymerization initiator; and up to 2 wt % of a stabilizer selectedfrom a specific hindered amine-based compound and ahydroxyphenyltriazine-based compound.

Another approach is disclosed by US 2011196058 A XEROX) which usesoptical brighteners to mask yellowing thus improving the appearance ofan image.

However, most approaches target the photoinitiating system, since oftendiscoloration is due to decomposition of the photoinitiating system.

The photoyellowing can be reduced by using specific photoinitiators thatdo not exhibit photoyellowing. EP 2108683 A (XEROX) discloses asubstantially colourless radiation overcoat composition including agellant, a monomer and a substantially non-yellowing photoinitiatorselected from the group consisting of benzophenones, benzoin ethers,benzil ketals, α-hydroxyalkylphenones, and acylphosphinephotoinitiators.

WO 2011/069943 (AGFA) discloses a UV LED curable composition includingan aliphatic tertiary amine or dialkyl aniline co-initiator and acarbazole photoinitiator, which can be advantageously used to preventunstable yellowing behaviour in an image upon storage.

The use of smaller amounts of photoinitiator usually also reduces thephotoyellowing. Thioxanthone photoinitiators are known to form severaldegradation products with a limited stability. As a result, the originalyellowing shifts upon storage of inkjet prints, this unstable yellowingbehaviour makes control of the image tone in the final image difficult.EP 2053102 A (AGFA) discloses a radiation curable composition includingat least 25 wt % of a vinylether acrylate and at least 15 wt % of apolymerizable compound comprising at least three acrylate groups; and aphotoinitiator comprising a tertiary amine group and 0 to 3 wt % ofisopropylthioxanthone.

US 2007066700 A (SUN CHEMICAL) discloses that the piperazine sensitizersof the invention cause yellowing and may only be used successfully invarnishes if this is not of importance.

EP 2399965 A1 (AGFA) discloses a free radical radiation curable inkjetink containing a photoinitiator and polymerizable compounds including atleast 45 wt % of a mixture of monomers consisting of: a) 10 to 35 wt %of one or more cyclic monofunctional acrylates wherein the homopolymerthereof has a T_(g) larger than 20° C.; b) 10 to 30 wt % of a N-vinyllactam and/or a vinylether acrylate; c) 10 to 30 wt % of an ethoxylatedand/or propoxylated polyacrylate having a molecular weight of at least450; wherein all wt % are based on the total weight of the inkjet ink.An ink is disclosed containing C.I Pigment Blue 15:4, the dispersantDisperbyk™ 162 and VEEA.

EP 2053103 A1 (AGFA) discloses a A free radical curable liquid forinkjet printing of food packaging materials comprising no initiator orotherwise one or more initiators selected from the group consisting ofnon-polymeric di- or multifunctional initiators, oligomeric initiators,polymeric initiators and polymerizable initiators; wherein thepolymerizable composition of said liquid consists essentially of: a)25-100 wt % of one or more polymerizable compounds A having at least oneacrylate group G1 and at least one second ethylenically unsaturatedpolymerizable functional group G2 different from the group G1; b) 0-55wt % of one or more polymerizable compounds B selected from the groupconsisting of monofunctional acrylates and difunctional acrylates; andc) 0-55 wt % of one or more polymerizable compounds C selected from thegroup consisting of trifunctional acrylates, tetrafunctional acrylates,pentafunctional acrylates and hexafunctional acrylates, with the provisothat if the weight percentage of compounds B >24 wt %, then the weightpercentage of compounds C>1 wt %; and wherein all weight percentages ofA, B and C are based upon the total weight of the polymerizablecomposition; with the proviso that at least one polymerizable compound Bor C is present in the polymerizable composition if the free radicalcurable liquid contains no initiator; wherein the polymerizable compoundA has a copolymerization ratio of with r 1 and r 2 representing thecopolymerization parameters of methyl-G1 respectively methyl-G2determined according to the method of Kelen-Tudos.

It is also possible to eliminate the photoinitiating system by usingelectron beam curing instead of UV curing. However, in the case ofvinylether acrylate monomers a profound yellowing could be observed,especially when compounds having sulfonic acid groups were present. Thiscan be especially well observed for cyan and white radiation curableinks, which after printing and curing result in a greenish cyanrespectively a yellowish white colour. Also an increase in ink viscositywas generally seen.

Therefore, there is a need to improve radiation curable fluids andinkjet inks including vinylether acrylate monomers that exhibit no oronly minor photoyellowing and constant ink viscosity, resulting in areliable industrial ink jet system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has been surprisingly discovered that the use of a polymericdispersant having heterocyclic groups having hetero atoms consisting ofone or two nitrogen atoms improved the yellowing of a radiation curablefluid including a vinylether (meth)acrylate monomer and a compoundhaving a sulfonic acid group.

In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodimentsof the present invention provide a radiation curable fluid as defined byclaim 1 below producing reliable radiation curable fluids for industrialinkjet systems improved for yellowing and constant viscosity.

Further advantages and preferred embodiments of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The term “alkyl” means all variants possible for each number of carbonatoms in the alkyl group i.e. methyl, ethyl, for three carbon atoms:n-propyl and isopropyl; for four carbon atoms: n-butyl, isobutyl andtertiary-butyl; for five carbon atoms: n-pentyl, 1,1-dimethyl-propyl,2,2-dimethylpropyl and 2-methyl-butyl, etc.

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group ispreferably a C₁ to C₆-alkyl group.

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl groupis preferably a C₁ to C₆-alkenyl group.

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl groupis preferably a C₁ to C₆-alkynyl group.

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl groupis preferably phenyl group or naphthyl group including one, two, threeor more C₁ to C₆-alkyl groups.

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted alkaryl groupis preferably a C₁ to C₆-alkyl group including a phenyl group ornaphthyl group.

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group ispreferably a phenyl group or naphthyl group

Unless otherwise specified a substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylgroup is preferably a five- or six-membered ring substituted by one, twoor three oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms, sulphur atoms, selenium atoms orcombinations thereof.

The term “substituted”, in e.g. substituted alkyl group means that thealkyl group may be substituted by other atoms than the atoms normallypresent in such a group, i.e. carbon and hydrogen. For example, asubstituted alkyl group may include a halogen atom or a thiol group. Anunsubstituted alkyl group contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms

Unless otherwise specified a substituted alkyl group, a substitutedalkenyl group, a substituted alkynyl group, a substituted aralkyl group,a substituted alkaryl group, a substituted aryl and a substitutedheteroaryl group are preferably substituted by one or more substituentsselected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl and tertiary-butyl, ester, amide, ether,thioether, ketone, aldehyde, sulfoxide, sulfone, sulfonate ester,sulphonamide, —Cl, —Br, —I, —OH, —SH, —CN and —NO₂.

Radiation Curable Fluids

The radiation curable fluid according a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention includes a vinylether (meth)acrylate monomer; acompound having a sulfonic acid group; and a polymeric dispersant withheterocyclic groups having hetero atoms consisting of one or twonitrogen atoms.

There is no limitation on the application, wherein the radiation curablefluid is used, and it may be inkjet printing, flexographic printing,screen printing, gravure printing and the like. A preferred embodimentis a radiation curable inkjet ink including the radiation curable fluidaccording to the present invention.

The surface tension of the radiation curable inkjet ink is preferablyfrom 20 to 30 mN/m, more preferably from 22 to 28 mN/m. It is preferably20 mN/m or more from the viewpoint of printability by a second radiationcurable inkjet ink, and it is preferably not more than 30 mN/m from theviewpoint of wettability.

For having a good ejecting ability, the viscosity of the inkjet ink atthe jetting temperature is preferably smaller than 30 mPa·s, morepreferably smaller than 15 mPa·s, and most preferably between 1 and 10mPa·s at a shear rate of 100 s⁻¹ and a jetting temperature between 10and 70° C.

The viscosity of the radiation curable inkjet ink is smaller than 30mPa·s, preferably smaller than 28 mPa·s, and most preferably between 1and 25 mPa·s at 25° C. and at a shear rate of 100 s⁻¹.

The radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks can be aqueous ornon-aqueous, but are preferably non-aqueous. In an industrial inkjetprinting environment, aqueous inkjet inks tend to suffer more fromlatency problems than non-aqueous inkjet inks.

In radiation curable inkjet inks organic solvent(s) are preferably fullyreplaced by one or more monomers and/or oligomers. However sometimes, itcan be advantageous to add a small amount of an organic solvent toimprove the dissolution of the dispersant or to improve adhesion to theink-receiver. The content of organic solvent should be lower than 20 wt%, more preferably lower than 5 wt % based on the total weight of the(inkjet) ink and most preferably the curable pigment dispersion or inkdoesn't include any organic solvent.

Suitable organic solvents include alcohols, aromatic hydrocarbons,ketones, esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, higher fatty acids, carbitols,cellosolves, higher fatty acid esters. Suitable alcohols includemethanol, ethanol, propanol and 1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 2-butanol,t.-butanol. Suitable aromatic hydrocarbons include toluene, and xylene.Suitable ketones include methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone,2,4-pentanedione and hexafluoroacetone. Also glycol, glycolethers,N-methylpyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamid, N, N-dimethylformamid may beused.

Preferred examples of organic solvents are disclosed in [0133] to [0146]of EP 1857510 A (AGFA GRAPHICS).

If the radiation curable fluid is a curable inkjet ink, organicsolvent(s) are preferably fully replaced by one or more monomers and/oroligomers to obtain the liquid dispersion medium. Sometimes, it can beadvantageous to add a small amount of an organic solvent to improve thedissolution of the dispersant. The content of organic solvent should belower than 20 wt %, more preferably lower than 5 wt % based on the totalweight of the (inkjet) ink and most preferably the curable pigmentdispersion or ink doesn't include any organic solvent.

In the most preferred embodiment, the radiation curable fluids andinkjet inks include 0 to 3 wt % of a solvent.

Sulfonated Compounds

There is no real limitation on the compound having a sulfonic acidgroup, it can be a surfactant, a polymerization inhibitor, a dye, acolour pigment and the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the radiation curable fluid, the compoundwith a sulfonic acid group is a colour pigment.

The compound having a sulfonic acid group is preferably present as anadditive, i.e. in small concentrations, preferably less than 5 wt %,more preferably less than 2 wt % and most preferably less than 1 wt %all based on the total weight of the radiation curable fluid or inkjetink.

Polymeric Dispersants

The radiation curable fluid or inkjet ink includes a polymericdispersant with heterocyclic groups having hetero atoms consisting ofone or two nitrogen atoms. The polymeric dispersant having heterocyclicgroups having hetero atoms consisting of one or two nitrogen atoms isused for reducing yellowing in a radiation curable fluid including avinylether (meth)acrylate monomer and a compound having a sulfonic acidgroup.

In a preferred embodiment, the heterocyclic groups having hetero atomsconsisting of one or two nitrogen atoms include pyridine groups.

In a preferred embodiment, the polymeric dispersant is a copolymer ofvinyl-2-pyridine or vinyl-4-pyridine, more preferably including anacrylate as co-monomer, and most preferably including a butyl acrylatemonomer as acrylate co-monomer. The co-monomer may also be a styrenemonomer.

In a very preferred embodiment, the radiation curable fluid has an aminevalue of the polymeric dispersant is at least 30 mg KOH/g. This meansthat a plurality of heterocyclic groups having hetero atoms consistingof one or two nitrogen atoms, such as pyridine groups, is present in theradiation curable fluid or inkjet ink.

Suitable polymeric dispersants are copolymers of two monomers but theymay contain three, four, five or even more monomers. The properties ofpolymeric dispersants depend on both the nature of the monomers andtheir distribution in the polymer. Copolymeric dispersants preferablyhave the following polymer compositions:

-   -   statistically polymerized monomers (e.g. monomers A and B        polymerized into ABBAABAB);    -   alternating polymerized monomers (e.g. monomers A and B        polymerized into ABABABAB);    -   gradient (tapered) polymerized monomers (e.g. monomers A and B        polymerized into AAABAABBABBB);    -   block copolymers (e.g. monomers A and B polymerized into        AAAAABBBBBB) wherein the block length of each of the blocks (2,        3, 4, 5 or even more) is important for the dispersion capability        of the polymeric dispersant;    -   graft copolymers (graft copolymers consist of a polymeric        backbone with polymeric side chains attached to the backbone);        and    -   mixed forms of these polymers, e.g. blocky gradient copolymers.

The polymeric dispersant has preferably a number average molecularweight Mn between 500 and 30000, more preferably between 1500 and 10000.

The polymeric dispersant has preferably a weight average molecularweight Mw smaller than 100,000, more preferably smaller than 50,000 andmost preferably smaller than 30,000.

The polymeric dispersant has preferably a polydispersity PD smaller than2, more preferably smaller than 1.75 and most preferably smaller than1.5.

The polymeric dispersant is preferably used in an amount of 1 to 30 wt %based on the weight of the radiation curable fluid.

If a colour pigment, preferably a colour pigment with a sulfonatedpigment surface, is present, then the polymeric dispersant is preferablyused in an amount of 2 to 600 wt %, more preferably 5 to 200 wt %, mostpreferably 50 to 90 wt % based on the weight of the pigment.

Vinylether Acrylate Monomers

The radiation curable fluid and inkjet ink include a vinylether(meth)acrylate monomer.

The vinylether (meth)acrylate monomer is preferably a monomerrepresented by Formula (I):

wherein,

-   R represents hydrogen or a methyl group;-   L represents a linking group comprising at least one carbon atom;    and-   n and m independently represent a value from 1 to 5.

The radiation curable fluid or inkjet ink preferably includes2-(2-vinyloxyethoxyl)ethyl acrylate as vinylether (meth)acrylatemonomer.

In a preferred embodiment, the vinylether (meth)acrylate monomer ispresent in the radiation curable fluid and inkjet ink in an amount of 20wt % to 90 wt %, more preferably 25 wt % to 80 wt % and most preferably30 wt % to 70 wt %, all based upon the total weight of the radiationcurable fluid and inkjet ink.

Other Polymerizable Compounds

Any monomer or oligomer capable of free radical polymerization may beused as polymerizable compound. A combination of monomers, oligomersand/or prepolymers may also be used. The monomers, oligomers and/orprepolymers may possess different degrees of functionality, and amixture including combinations of mono-, di-, tri-and higherfunctionality monomers, oligomers and/or prepolymers may be used. Theviscosity of the radiation curable compositions and inks can be adjustedby varying the ratio between the monomers and oligomers.

The monomers and oligomers used in radiation curable fluids and inkjetinks, especially for food packaging applications, are preferablypurified compounds having no or almost no impurities, more particularlyno toxic or carcinogenic impurities. The impurities are usuallyderivative compounds obtained during synthesis of the polymerizablecompound. Sometimes, however, some compounds may be added deliberatelyto pure polymerizable compounds in harmless amounts, for example,polymerization inhibitors or stabilizers.

Particularly preferred monomers and oligomers are those listed in [0106]to [0115] in EP 1911814 A (AGFA).

Colour Pigments

The radiation curable fluid can be a clear radiation curable fluid, butpreferably it includes at least one colorant.

The colorant is preferably a dye or a pigment, most preferably apigment.

The pigments may be black, white, cyan, magenta, yellow, red, orange,violet, blue, green, brown, mixtures thereof, and the like. A colourpigment may be chosen from those disclosed by HERBST, Willy, et al.Industrial Organic Pigments, Production, Properties, Applications. 3rdedition. Wiley—VCH, 2004. ISBN 3527305769.

Preferred pigments are disclosed in paragraphs [0128] to [0138] of WO2008/074548 (AGFA).

In a preferred embodiment, the compound with a sulfonic acid group inthe radiation curable fluid or inkjet ink is a colour pigment.

In a preferred embodiment, the radiation curable fluid includes a colourpigment C.I. Pigment Blue 15:4 as the compound with a sulfonic acidgroup.

In another preferred embodiment, the compound with a sulfonic acid groupis the radiation curable fluid is a colour pigment with a sulfonatedpigment surface selected from the group consisting of C.I. PigmentViolet 23 and C.I. Pigment Red 57:1.

Also mixed crystals may be used. Mixed crystals are also referred to assolid solutions. For example, under certain conditions differentquinacridones mix with each other to form solid solutions, which arequite different from both physical mixtures of the compounds and fromthe compounds themselves. In a solid solution, the molecules of thecomponents enter into the same crystal lattice, usually, but not always,that of one of the components. The x-ray diffraction pattern of theresulting crystalline solid is characteristic of that solid and can beclearly differentiated from the pattern of a physical mixture of thesame components in the same proportion. In such physical mixtures, thex-ray pattern of each of the components can be distinguished, and thedisappearance of many of these lines is one of the criteria of theformation of solid solutions. A commercially available example isCinquasia™ Magenta RT-355-D from Ciba Specialty Chemicals.

Also mixtures of pigments may be used. For example, the radiationcurable fluids and inkjet inks include a black pigment and at least onepigment selected from the group consisting of a blue pigment, a cyanpigment, magenta pigment and a red pigment. It was found that such ablack fluid or inkjet ink had an improved appearance because of theneutral black colour.

Pigment particles in inkjet inks should be sufficiently small to permitfree flow of the ink through the inkjet-printing device, especially atthe ejecting nozzles. It is also desirable to use small particles formaximum colour strength and to slow down sedimentation.

The numeric average pigment particle size is preferably between 0.050and 1 μm, more preferably between 0.070 and 0.300 μm and particularlypreferably between 0.080 and 0.200 μm. Most preferably, the numericaverage pigment particle size is no larger than 0.150 μm. An averageparticle size smaller than 0.050 μm is less desirable for decreasedfastness, but mainly also because very small pigment particles orindividual pigment molecules thereof may still be extracted in foodpackaging applications.

However for white pigment inkjet inks, the numeric average particlediameter of the white pigment is preferably from 50 to 500 nm, morepreferably from 150 to 400 nm, and most preferably from 200 to 350 nm.Sufficient hiding power cannot be obtained when the average diameter isless than 50 nm, and the storage ability and the jet-out suitability ofthe ink tend to be degraded when the average diameter exceeds 500 nm.

The determination of the average particle size (the numeric averageparticle diameter) is best performed by photon correlation spectroscopyat a wavelength of 633 nm with a 4 mW HeNe laser on a diluted sample ofthe pigmented inkjet ink. A suitable particle size analyzer used was aMalvern™ nano-S available from Goffin-Meyvis. A sample can, for example,be prepared by addition of one drop of ink to a cuvette containing 1.5mL ethyl acetate and mixed until a homogenous sample was obtained. Themeasured particle size is the average value of 3 consecutivemeasurements consisting of 6 runs of 20 seconds.

Suitable white pigments are given by Table 2 in [0116] of WO 2008/074548(AGFA). The white pigment is preferably a pigment with a refractiveindex greater than 1.60. The white pigments may be employed singly or incombination. Preferably titanium dioxide is used as pigment with arefractive index greater than 1.60. Preferred titanium dioxide pigmentsare those disclosed in [0117] and in [0118] of WO 2008/074548 (AGFA).

The pigments are preferably present in the range of 0.01 to 15%, morepreferably in the range of 0.05 to 10% by weight and most preferably inthe range of 0.1 to 8% by weight, each based on the total weight of theradiation curable fluid or inkjet ink. The white pigment is preferablypresent in an amount of 3% to 40% by weight of the radiation curablefluid or inkjet ink, and more preferably 5% to 35%. An amount of lessthan 3% by weight cannot achieve sufficient covering power and usuallyexhibits very poor storage stability and ejection property.

The radiation curable inkjet ink may be part of an inkjet ink set. Theinkjet ink set preferably comprises at least one yellow curable ink (Y),at least one cyan curable ink (C) and at least one magenta curable ink(M) and preferably also at least one black curable ink (K). The curableCMYK-ink set may also be extended with extra inks such as red, green,blue, and/or orange to further enlarge the colour gamut of the image.The CMYK-ink set may also be extended by the combination of the fulldensity inkjet inks with light density inkjet inks. The combination ofdark and light colour inks and/or black and grey inks improves the imagequality by a lowered graininess.

Photoinitiators and Co-Initiators

The radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks preferably also contains aninitiator. The initiator typically initiates the polymerizationreaction. The initiator can be a thermal initiator, but is preferably aphotoinitiator. A photoinitiator requires less energy to activate thanthe monomers, oligomers and/or prepolymers to form a polymer.

The photoinitiator in the radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks ispreferably a free radical initiator, more specifically a Norrish type Iinitiator or a Norrish type II initiator. A free radical photoinitiatoris a chemical compound that initiates polymerization of monomers andoligomers when exposed to actinic radiation by the formation of a freeradical. A Norrish Type I initiator is an initiator which cleaves afterexcitation, yielding the initiating radical immediately. A Norrish typeII-initiator is a photoinitiator which is activated by actinic radiationand forms free radicals by hydrogen abstraction from a second compoundthat becomes the actual initiating free radical. This second compound iscalled a polymerization synergist or co-initiator. Both type I and typeII photoinitiators can be used in the present invention, alone or incombination.

Suitable photoinitiators are disclosed in CRIVELLO, J. V., et al. VOLUMEIII: Photoinitiators for Free Radical Cationic. 2nd edition. Edited byBRADLEY, G. London, UK: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 1998. p.287-294.

Specific examples of photoinitiators may include, but are not limitedto, the following compounds or combinations thereof: benzophenone andsubstituted benzophenones, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone,thioxanthones such as isopropylthioxanthone,2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenylpropan-1-one,2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-(4-morpholinophenyl) butan-1-one, benzildimethylketal, bis (2,6-dimethylbenzoyl)-2,4, 4-trimethylpentylphosphineoxide, 2,4,6trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide,2-methyl-1-[4-(methylthio) phenyl]-2-morpholinopropan-1-one,2,2-dimethoxy-1, 2-diphenylethan-1-one or5,7-diiodo-3-butoxy-6-fluorone.

Suitable commercial photoinitiators include Irgacure™ 184, Irgacure™500, Irgacure™ 907, Irgacure™ 369, Irgacure™ 1700, Irgacure™ 651,Irgacure™ 819, Irgacure™ 1000, Irgacure™ 1300, Irgacure™ 1870, Darocur™1173, Darocur™ 2959, Darocur™ 4265 and Darocur™ ITX available from CIBASPECIALTY CHEMICALS, Lucerin™ TPO available from BASF AG, Esacure™KT046, Esacure™ KIP150, Esacure™ KT37 and Esacure™ EDB available fromLAMBERTI, H-Nu™ 470 and H-Nu™ 470X available from SPECTRA GROUP Ltd.

For low migration radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks, thephotoinitiator is preferably a so-called diffusion hinderedphotoinitiator. A diffusion hindered photoinitiator is a photoinitiatorwhich exhibits a much lower mobility in a cured layer of the fluid orink than a monofunctional photoinitiator, such as benzophenone. Severalmethods can be used to lower the mobility of the photoinitiator. One wayis to increase the molecular weight of the photoinitiators so that thediffusion speed is reduced, e.g. polymeric photoinitiators. Another wayis to increase its reactivity so that it is built into the polymerizingnetwork, e.g. multifunctional photoinitiators (having 2, 3 or morephotoinitiating groups) and polymerizable photoinitiators.

The diffusion hindered photoinitiator is preferably selected from thegroup consisting of non-polymeric multifunctional photoinitiators,oligomeric or polymeric photoinitiators and polymerizablephotoinitiators. Non-polymeric di- or multifunctional photoinitiatorsare considered to have a molecular weight between 300 and 900 Dalton.Non-polymerizable monofunctional photoinitiators with a molecular weightin that range are not diffusion hindered photoinitiators. Mostpreferably the diffusion hindered photoinitiator is a polymerizableinitiator or a polymeric photoinitiator.

A preferred diffusion hindered photoinitiator contains one or morephotoinitiating functional groups derived from a Norrish typeI-photoinitiators elected from the group consisting of benzoinethers,benzil ketals, α,α-dialkoxyacetophenones, α-hydroxyalkylphenones,α-aminoalkylphenones, acylphosphine oxides, acylphosphine sulfides,α-haloketones, α-halosulfones and phenylglyoxalates.

A preferred diffusion hindered photoinitiator contains one or morephotoinitiating functional groups derived from a Norrish typeII-initiator selected from the group consisting of benzophenones,thioxanthones, 1,2-diketones and anthraquinones.

Suitable diffusion hindered photoinitiators are also those disclosed inEP 2065362 A (AGFA) in paragraphs [0074] and [0075] for difunctional andmultifunctional photoinitiators, in paragraphs [0077] to [0080] forpolymeric photoinitiators and in paragraphs [0081] to [0083] forpolymerizable photoinitiators.

Other preferred polymerizable photoinitiators are those disclosed in EP2161264 A (AGFA). A preferred amount of photoinitiator is 0-50 wt %,more preferably 0.1-20 wt %, and most preferably 0.3-15 wt % of thetotal weight of the curable ink.

Photoinitiators like bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phenylphosphineoxidephotoinitiator are monofunctional but are allowed by the Swiss ordinanceSR 817.023.21 on Objects and Materials due to their very low toxicitylevel.

In order to increase the photosensitivity further, the radiation curableink may additionally contain co-initiators. Suitable examples ofco-initiators can be categorized in three groups: 1) tertiary aliphaticamines such as methyldiethanolamine, dimethylethanolamine,triethanolamine, triethylamine and N-methylmorpholine; (2) aromaticamines such as amylparadimethylaminobenzoate,2-n-butoxyethyl-4-(dimethylamino) benzoate,2-(dimethylamino)ethylbenzoate, ethyl-4-(dimethylamino)benzoate, and2-ethylhexyl-4-(dimethylamino)benzoate; and (3) (meth)acrylated aminessuch as dialkylamino alkyl(meth)acrylates (e.g.,diethylaminoethylacrylate) or N-morpholinoalkyl-(meth)acrylates (e.g.,N-morpholinoethyl-acrylate).

The preferred co-initiators are aminobenzoates.

When one or more co-initiators are included into the radiation curablefluids and inkjet inks, preferably these co-initiators are diffusionhindered for safety reasons.

A diffusion hindered co-initiator is preferably selected from the groupconsisting of non-polymeric di- or multifunctional co-initiators,oligomeric or polymeric co-initiators and polymerizable co-initiators.More preferably the diffusion hindered co-initiator is selected from thegroup consisting of polymeric co-initiators and polymerizableco-initiators. Most preferably the diffusion hindered co-initiator is apolymerizable co-initiator having at least one (meth)acrylate group,more preferably having at least one acrylate group.

The radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks preferably includes apolymerizable or polymeric tertiary amine co-initiator.

Preferred diffusion hindered co-initiators are the polymerizableco-initiators disclosed in EP 2053101 A (AGFA) in paragraphs [0088] and[0097].

Preferred diffusion hindered co-initiators include a polymericco-initiator having a dendritic polymeric architecture, more preferablya hyperbranched polymeric architecture. Preferred hyperbranchedpolymeric co-initiators are those disclosed in US 2006014848 (AGFA).

The radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks preferably includes thediffusion hindered co-initiator in an amount of 0.1 to 50 wt %, morepreferably in an amount of 0.5 to 25 wt %, most preferably in an amountof 1 to 10 wt % of the total weight of the inkjet ink.

Polymerization Inhibitors

The radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks may contain apolymerization inhibitor. Suitable polymerization inhibitors includephenol type antioxidants, hindered amine light stabilizers, phosphortype antioxidants, hydroquinone monomethyl ether commonly used in(meth)acrylate monomers, and hydroquinone, t-butylcatechol, pyrogallolmay also be used.

Suitable commercial inhibitors are, for example, Sumilizer™ GA-80,Sumilizer™ GM and Sumilizer™ GS produced by Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.;Genorad™ 16, Genorad™ 18 and Genorad™ 20 from Rahn AG; Irgastab™ UV10and Irgastab™ UV22, Tinuvin™ 460 and CGS20 from Ciba SpecialtyChemicals; Floorstab™ UV range (UV-1, UV-2, UV-5 and UV-8) fromKromachem Ltd, Additol™ S range (S100, S110, S120 and S130) from CytecSurface Specialties.

Since excessive addition of these polymerization inhibitors will lowerthe ink sensitivity to curing, it is preferred that the amount capableof preventing polymerization is determined prior to blending. The amountof a polymerization inhibitor is preferably lower than 2 wt % of thetotal (inkjet) ink.

Surfactants

The radiation curable fluids and inkjet inks may contain at least onesurfactant. The surfactant can be anionic, cationic, non-ionic, orzwitter-ionic and are usually added in a total quantity less than 20 wt% based on the total weight of the ink and particularly in a total lessthan 10 wt % based on the total weight of the ink. Surfactants can,depending on their chemical and physical properties, sometimes be usedin small quantities of less than 2 wt % based on the total weight of theinkjet ink. This is especially true for silicone type surfactants sincethey are very effective in reducing the surface tension of an inkjetink.

Suitable surfactants include fluorinated surfactants, fatty acid salts,ester salts of a higher alcohol, alkylbenzene sulfonate salts,sulfosuccinate ester salts and phosphate ester salts of a higher alcohol(for example, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and sodiumdioctylsulfosuccinate), ethylene oxide adducts of a higher alcohol,ethylene oxide adducts of an alkylphenol, ethylene oxide adducts of apolyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester, and acetylene glycol and ethyleneoxide adducts thereof (for example, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether,and SURFYNOL™ 104, 104H, 440, 465 and TG available from AIR PRODUCTS &CHEMICALS INC.).

Preferred surfactants are selected from fluoro surfactants (such asfluorinated hydrocarbons) and silicone surfactants. The siliconesurfactants are preferably siloxanes and can be alkoxylated, polyethermodified, polyether modified hydroxy functional, amine modified, epoxymodified and other modifications or combinations thereof. Preferredsiloxanes are polymeric, for example polydimethylsiloxanes.

Preferred commercial silicone surfactants include BYK™ 333 and BYK™UV3510 from BYK Chemie.

In a preferred embodiment, the surfactant is a polymerizable surfactant,such as a polymerizable silicone surfactant or a polymerizablefluorinated surfactant, more preferably a (meth)acrylated siliconesurfactant or a (meth)acrylated fluorinated surfactant.

Preferred commercially available (meth)acrylated silicone surfactantsinclude: Ebecryl™ 350, a silicone diacrylate from Cytec; the polyethermodified acrylated polydimethylsiloxane BYK™ UV3500 and BYK™ UV3530, thepolyester modified acrylated polydimethylsiloxane BYK™ UV3570, allmanufactured by BYK Chemie; Tego™ Rad 2100, Tego™ Rad 2200N, Tego™ Rad2250N, Tego™ Rad 2300, Tego™ Rad 2500, Tego™ Rad 2600, and Tego™ Rad2700, Tego™ RC711 from EVONIK; Silaplane™ FM7711, Silaplane™ FM7721,Silaplane™ FM7731, Silaplane™ FM0711, Silaplane™ FM0721, Silaplane™FM0725, Silaplane™ TM0701, Silaplane™ TM0701T all manufactured by ChissoCorporation; and DMS-R05, DMS-R11, DMS-R18, DMS-R22, DMS-R31, DMS-U21,DBE-U22, SIB1400, RMS-044, RMS-033, RMS-083, UMS-182, UMS-992, UCS-052,RTT-1011 and UTT-1012 all manufactured by Gelest, Inc.

The (meth)acrylated silicone surfactant preferably has a viscosity at25° C. of no more than 3,000 mPa·s, more preferably of no more than2,000 mPa·s and most preferably between 100 and 1,000 mPa·s all measuredat 25° C. and at a shear rate of 100 s⁻¹. A too high viscosity of(meth)acrylated silicone surfactant will increase the viscosity of theradiation curable inkjet inks to a level that the printing speed has tobe reduced.

Preparation of Inkjet Inks

Pigment dispersions may be prepared by precipitating or milling thepigment in the dispersion medium in the presence of the dispersant.

Mixing apparatuses may include a pressure kneader, an open kneader, aplanetary mixer, a dissolver, and a Dalton Universal Mixer. Suitablemilling and dispersion apparatuses are a ball mill, a pearl mill, acolloid mill, a high-speed disperser, double rollers, a bead mill, apaint conditioner, and triple rollers. The dispersions may also beprepared using ultrasonic energy.

Many different types of materials may be used as milling media, such asglasses, ceramics, metals, and plastics. In a preferred embodiment, thegrinding media can comprise particles, preferably substantiallyspherical in shape, e.g. beads consisting essentially of a polymericresin or yttrium stabilized zirconium beads.

In the process of mixing, milling and dispersion, each process isperformed with cooling to prevent build up of heat, and as much aspossible under light conditions in which actinic radiation has beensubstantially excluded.

The pigment dispersion may contain more than one pigment, the pigmentdispersion or ink may be prepared using separate dispersions for eachpigment, or alternatively several pigments may be mixed and co-milled inpreparing the dispersion.

The dispersion process can be carried out in a continuous, batch orsemi-batch mode.

The preferred amounts and ratios of the ingredients of the mill grindwill vary widely depending upon the specific materials and the intendedapplications. The contents of the milling mixture comprise the millgrind and the milling media. The mill grind comprises pigment, polymericdispersant and a liquid carrier. For inkjet inks, the pigment is usuallypresent in the mill grind at 1 to 50 wt %, excluding the milling media.The weight ratio of pigment over polymeric dispersant is 20:1 to 1:2.

The milling time can vary widely and depends upon the pigment, theselected mechanical devices and residence conditions, the initial anddesired final particle size, etc. In a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention pigment dispersions with an average particle size ofless than 100 nm may be prepared.

After milling is completed, the milling media is separated from themilled particulate product (in either a dry or liquid dispersion form)using conventional separation techniques, such as by filtration, sievingthrough a mesh screen, and the like. Often the sieve is built into themill, e.g. for a bead mill. The milled pigment concentrate is preferablyseparated from the milling media by filtration.

In general it is desirable to make inkjet inks in the form of aconcentrated mill grind, which is subsequently diluted to theappropriate concentration for use in the inkjet printing system. Thistechnique permits preparation of a greater quantity of pigmented inkfrom the equipment. By dilution, the inkjet ink is adjusted to thedesired viscosity, surface tension, colour, hue, saturation density, andprint area coverage for the particular application.

Inkjet Printing Methods

An inkjet printing method including the steps of:

a) feeding an inkjet print head with a radiation curable inkjet ink asdescribed above;

b) jetting the radiation curable inkjet ink on a substrate.

In a preferred embodiment of the inkjet printing method, the substrateis an opaque white substrate, preferably an opaque white substrateselected from the group consisting of a polyolefin, a polyester andcopolymers thereof. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the inkjetprinting method the substrate is selected from the group consisting ofpolyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene and copolymersthereof

Corona discharge and plasma treatments may be used and are well-known toa person skilled in the art of printing for improving wettability orsurface tension energy of the substrate to make them more compatiblewith adhesives or printing inks. An atmospheric plasma treatment ispreferred over a chemical plasma treatment and certainly over a flameplasma treatment since the latter requires higher temperatures whereinmany substrates that are treated with a flame plasma get damaged.

The radiation curable inkjet ink may be jetted by one or more printingheads ejecting small droplets of ink in a controlled manner throughnozzles onto the polymeric surface, which is moving relative to theprinting head(s). A preferred printing head for the inkjet printingsystem is a piezoelectric head. Piezoelectric inkjet printing is basedon the movement of a piezoelectric ceramic transducer when a voltage isapplied thereto. The application of a voltage changes the shape of thepiezoelectric ceramic transducer in the printing head creating a void,which is then filled with ink. When the voltage is again removed, theceramic expands to its original shape, ejecting a drop of ink from theprint head. However the inkjet printing method according to the presentinvention is not restricted to piezoelectric inkjet printing. Otherinkjet printing heads can be used and include various types, such as acontinuous type and thermal, electrostatic and acoustic drop on demandtype.

The inkjet print head normally scans back and forth in a transversaldirection across the moving polymeric surface. However in a preferredembodiment, the inkjet printing method according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention is performed by a so-called singlepass printing process. This can be accomplished by using page wideinkjet print heads or multiple staggered inkjet print heads which coverthe entire width of the ink-receiving polymeric surface. In a singlepass printing process the inkjet printing heads usually remainstationary and the ink-receiving polymeric surface is transported underthe inkjet print heads.

The radiation curable inkjet ink may be cured by actinic radiationselected preferably from the group consisting of UV radiation, infraredradiation, electron beam and combinations thereof. The radiation curableinkjet ink is preferably cured by electron beam curing if no initiatoris present in the radiation curable inkjet ink. The radiation curableinkjet ink is preferably cured by UV radiation if a photoinitiator orphotoinitiating system is present in the radiation curable inkjet ink.

The curing device may be arranged in combination with the print head ofthe inkjet printer, travelling therewith so that the radiation curableinkjet ink is exposed to curing radiation very shortly after beenjetted.

Any ultraviolet light source, as long as part of the emitted light canbe absorbed by the photoinitiator or photoinitiator system, may beemployed as a radiation source, such as, a high or low pressure mercurylamp, a cold cathode tube, a black light, an ultraviolet LED, anultraviolet laser, and a flash light. Of these, the preferred source isone exhibiting a relatively long wavelength UV-contribution having adominant wavelength of 300-400 nm. Specifically, a UV-A light source ispreferred due to the reduced light scattering therewith resulting inmore efficient interior curing.

UV radiation is generally classed as UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C as follows:

-   -   UV-A: 400 nm to 320 nm    -   UV-B: 320 nm to 290 nm    -   UV-C: 290 nm to 100 nm.

Furthermore, it is possible to cure the image using, consecutively orsimultaneously, two light sources of differing wavelength orilluminance. For example, the first UV-source can be selected to be richin UV-C, in particular in the range of 260 nm-200 nm. The secondUV-source can then be rich in UV-A, e.g. a gallium-doped lamp, or adifferent lamp high in both UV-A and UV-B. The use of two UV-sources hasbeen found to have advantages e.g. a fast curing speed.

In a particular preferred embodiment, the radiation curable inkjet inkon the polymeric surface is cured by UV radiation, more preferably by UVradiation emitted by one or more light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) orlasers.

For facilitating curing, the inkjet printer may include one or moreoxygen depletion units. The oxygen depletion units place a blanket ofnitrogen or other relatively inert gas like CO₂, with adjustableposition and adjustable inert gas concentration, in order to reduce theoxygen concentration in the curing environment. Residual oxygen levelsare usually maintained as low as 200 ppm, but are generally in the rangeof 200 ppm to 1200 ppm.

Thermal curing can be performed image-wise by use of a thermal head, aheat stylus, hot stamping, a laser beam, etc. If a laser beam is used,then preferably an infrared laser is used in combination with aninfrared absorber in the curable ink.

When electron beams are employed, the exposure amount of the aforesaidelectron beam is preferably controlled to be in the range of 0.1-20Mrad. An exposure amount of not less than 0.1 Mrad does not result insufficient curing of the curable inkjet inks. An exposure amount of morethan 20 Mrad is not preferred because it is able to avoid deteriorationof supports, especially paper and certain type of plastics. Preferredelectron beam exposure systems are a scanning system, a curtain beamsystem, and a broad beam system. Appropriate acceleration voltage duringelectron beam exposure is 100-300 kV. The most important advantage ofusing an electron beam exposure system, compared to the ultravioletradiation exposure, is that for printing on packaging materials curableinks lacking an initiator can be used. Hence, no toxicological problemscan occur due to extraction of the initiator.

EXAMPLES

Materials

All materials used in the following examples were readily available fromstandard sources such as Aldrich Chemical Co. (Belgium) and Acros(Belgium) unless otherwise specified. The water used was deionizedwater.

VEEA is 2-(vinylethoxy)ethyl acrylate, having an APHA of 3, availablefrom NIPPON SHOKUBAI, Japan.

PTSA is p-toluenesulfonic acid.

Cupferron™ AL is aluminum N-nitrosophenylhydroxylamine from WAKOCHEMICALS LTD.

INHIB is a mixture forming a polymerization inhibitor having acomposition according to Table 1.

TABLE 1 Component wt % VEEA 82.4 p-methoxyphenol 4.02,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol 10.0 Cupferron ™ AL 3.6

DB162 is an abbreviation used for the polymeric dispersant Disperbyk™162 available from BYK CHEMIE GMBH whereof the solvent mixture of2-methoxy-1-methylethylacetate, xylene and n-butylacetate was removed.The polymeric dispersant is a polyester-polyurethane dispersant on thebasis of caprolactam and toluene diisocyanate having an amine value of13 mg KOH/g, a Mn of about 4,425 and a Mw of about 6,270.

SS35000 is a polyethyleneimine core grafted withpolyester-hyperdispersant having an amine value of 28 mg KOH/g availableas Solsperse™ 35000 from LUBRIZOL.

SS39000 is a polyethyleneimine core grafted withpolyester-hyperdispersant having an amine value of 24 mg KOH/g availableas Solsperse™ 39000 from LUBRIZOL.

E7701 is a butylacrylate-vinylpyridine copolymer having an amine valueof 40 mg KOH/g available as Efka™ 7701 from BASF.

PB15:4 is Sun Fast Blue

M600 is dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate and an abbreviation for Miramer™M600 available from RAHN AG.

ITX is Darocur™ ITX is an isomeric mixture of 2- and4-isopropylthioxanthone from BASF.

IC819 is Irgacure™ 819 is a photoinitiator available from BASF having aschemical structure:

IC379 is Irgacure™ 379 is a photoinitiator available from BASF having aschemical structure:

IC907 is 2-methyl-1-[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholino-propan-1-one, aphotoinitiator available as Irgacure™ 907 from BASF.

BYK™ UV3510 is a polyether modified polydimethylsiloxane wetting agentavailable from BYK CHEMIE GMBH.

Measurement Methods

1. APHA

The APHA value is a yellowness index of a given fluid which wasdetermined in accordance with ASTM D 1209 on a LICO™ 200 colorimeter ofDr Lange, equipped for liquid samples and for measurements in thevisible region.

2. Viscosity

The viscosity of the formulations was measured using a Brookfield DV-II+viscometer at 45° C. at 12 rotations per minute (RPM) using a CPE 40spindle.

For reliable industrial inkjet printing, the ink viscosity should afterstorage differ by no more than 10%, preferably by no more than 5%.

3. Particle Size

The particle size of pigment particles in inkjet ink was determined byphoton correlation spectroscopy at a wavelength of 633 nm with a 4 mWHeNe laser on a diluted sample of the inkjet ink. The particle sizeanalyzer used was a Malvern™ nano-S available from Goffin-Meyvis.

The sample was prepared by addition of one drop of ink to a cuvettecontaining 1.5 mL ethyl acetate and mixed until a homogenous sample wasobtained. The measured particle size is the average value of 3consecutive measurements consisting of 6 runs of 20 seconds. For goodink jet characteristics (jetting characteristics and print quality) theaverage particle size of the dispersed particles is below 200 nm,preferably between 70 and 150 nm.

The inkjet ink is considered to be a stable pigment dispersion if theparticle size did not increase by more than 15% after a heat treatmentof 7 days at 80° C.

4. Amine Value

The amine value of the polymeric dispersant is determined according toDIN 16945.

Example 1

This Example illustrates the effect that polymeric dispersants have onthe yellowing of radiation curable fluids including a vinyletheracrylate monomer and a compound having a sulfonic acid group.

Preparation of Radiation Curable Fluids

A radiation curable fluid F-1 was prepared by mixing VEEA with 1 wt % ofthe stabilizer INHIB based on the total weight of the radiation curablefluid and adding 10 ppm of PTSA under stirring. The radiation curablefluids F-2 to F-7 were prepared by adding the polymeric dispersant in anamount according to Table 3.

TABLE 3 Curable Polymeric Dispersant Fluid Type Amount F-1 — — F-2 DB162 50 ppm F-3 DB162 100 ppm F-4 SS35000  50 ppm F-5 SS35000 100 ppm F-6E7701  50 ppm F-7 E7701 100 ppmEvaluation and Results

The radiation curable fluids F-1 to F-7 were kept in a closedtransparent container for 2 weeks at 25° C.

The APHA was measured just after preparation (Fresh), after 1 week andafter 2 weeks. The results are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Curable APHA Fluid Fresh After 1 week After 2 weeks F-1 3 16solid F-2 4 64 226 F-3 4 32 35 F-4 4 138 548 F-5 4 56 119 F-6 4 18 14F-7 4 16 14

From Table 4, it can be seen that only the radiation curable fluids F-6and F-7 including a polymeric dispersant according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention exhibited no yellowing after 1 weekand also that the non-yellowing effect was stable. The radiation curablefluids F-3 and F-5 including different types of amine dispersants showeda minor improvement on yellowing which however deteriorated after twoweeks. An increase in viscosity was observed for the curable fluids F-1to F-5. After two weeks the curable fluid F-1 had even solidified.

Example 2

This Example illustrates the effect of the dispersant type on theviscosity and the dispersion stability of electron beam curable inkjetinks.

Preparation of Electron Beam Curable Inkjet Inks

The electron beam curable inkjet inks Ink-1 to Ink-4 were all preparedin the same manner.

First a concentrated cyan pigment dispersion was prepared by mixing for20 minutes the 60 g of pigment Sun Fast Blue, 150 g of 40% solution ofthe polymeric dispersant (see Table 6) in VEEA and 1 g of the stabilizerINHIB in the monomer VEEA using a DISPERLUX™ disperser (from DISPERLUXS.A.R.L., Luxembourg). The mixture was then milled with Netzch MiniZetawherein the internal volume was filled for 50% with 0.4 mm yttriumstabilized zirconia beads (“high wear resistant zirconia grinding media”from TOSOH Co.). The mixture was dispersed for 2 hours at a rotationspeed of 3,000 rpm. During the complete milling procedure the content inthe mill was cooled to a temperature of 42° C. After milling, theconcentrated pigment dispersion was discharged and had a compositionaccording to Table 5.

TABLE 5 Component wt % PB15:4 15 Dispersant 15 INHIB 1 VEEA 69

The concentrated cyan pigment dispersions were then diluted by VEEA andM600 to obtain an ink composition as shown in Table 6.

TABLE 6 wt % of Ink-1 Ink-2 Ink-3 Ink-4 PB15:4 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 SS350003.0 — — — SS39000 — 3.0 — — DB162 — — 3.0 — E7701 — — — 3.0 INHIB 0.20.2 0.2 0.2 VEEA 87.8  87.8  87.8  87.8  M600 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0Evaluation and Results

The viscosity and the particle size of the electron beam curable inkjetinks Ink-1 to Ink-4 was determined just after their preparation andagain after a heat treatment of 7 days at 80° C. The results are shownin Table 7.

TABLE 7 After preparation After heat treatment Inkjet Viscosity ParticleSize % Increase % Increase of Ink (mPa · s) (nm) in Viscosity ParticleSize Ink-1 5.5 96 28% 11% Ink-2 4.7 100 131%  26% Ink-3 4.0 87 66%  2%Ink-4 5.3 119  5%  0%

From Table 7, that only inkjet ink Ink-4 having a dispersant accordingto a preferred embodiment of the present invention exhibited stable inkviscosity and dispersion stability.

Example 3

This Example illustrates the effect of the dispersant on the inkviscosity during storage of a UV curable inkjet ink.

Preparation of UV Curable Inkjet Inks

The UV curable inkjet inks Ink-5 and Ink-6 were prepared in the samemanner.

Two concentrated cyan pigment dispersions were prepared by mixingPB15:4, a 30% solution of the dispersant in VEEA and the stabilizerINHIB for 30 minutes in VEEA in order to obtain a composition accordingto Table 8 using a DISPERLUX™ Dissolver (from DISPERLUX S.A.R.L.,Luxembourg) and subsequently milling this mixture in a DYNOMILL ECM POLYmill (from BACHOFEN GmbH) having a bead filling of 42% with 0.4 mmyttrium stabilized zirconium oxide beads (“high wear resistant zirconiagrinding media” from TOSOH Co.) for 120 minutes at a rotation speed of10.4 m/s. After milling the dispersion was separated from the beadsusing a filter cloth.

TABLE 8 Component wt % PB15:4 15 Dispersant 15 INHIB 1 VEEA 69

These concentrated cyan pigment dispersions were then diluted and mixedfor 70 minutes to obtain the UV curable inkjet inks Ink-5 and Ink-6according to Table 9.

TABLE 9 wt % of component Ink-5 Ink-5 PB15:4 3.0 3.0 DB162 3.0 — E7701 —3.0 VEEA 74.2 74.2 M600 6.0 6.0 INHIB 0.8 0.8 ITX 2.0 2.0 IC819 3.0 3.0IC907 5.0 5.0 IC379 2.0 2.0 BYK ™ UV 3510 1.0 1.0Evaluation and Results

The viscosity was then measured after preparation and after storageunder several conditions. Directly after preparation the viscosity ofthe inkjet inks Ink-5 and Ink-6 was 5.3 mPa·s, respectively 5.6 mPa·s.

Several 5 liter black jerry cans were filled with the inkjet inks Ink-5and Ink-6 leaving a head space of about 5% and then sealed and closedwith a cap. The jerry cans were stored in a dark place under differentstorage conditions and after storage the ink viscosity was determined bytaking an ink sample from the top of the vertically stored jerry cans.The results are shown in Table 10.

TABLE 10 % Increase in Viscosity Storage Condition Ink-5 Ink-6 6 weeksat 25° C. 3% 0% 6 months at 25° C. 104%  0% 9 months at 25° C. solid 2%18 months at 25° C. solid 6% 1 month at 45° C. 0% 0% 1 month at 60° C.12%  0%

Table 10 shows that only the UV curable inkjet ink Ink-6 in accordancewith the invention has a constant ink viscosity after storage suitablefor reliable industrial inkjet printing.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A radiation curable fluid comprising: avinylether (meth)acrylate monomer; a compound including a sulfonic acidgroup; and a polymeric dispersant including heterocyclic groupsincluding hetero atoms consisting of one or two nitrogen atoms; whereinan amine value of the polymeric dispersant is at least 30 mg KOH/g; theheterocyclic groups including the hetero atoms consisting of the one ortwo nitrogen atoms include pyridine groups; the polymeric dispersant isa copolymer of vinyl-2-pyridine or vinyl-4-pyridine; and the polymericdispersant includes an acrylate co-monomer.
 2. The radiation curablefluid according to claim 1, wherein the compound including the sulfonicacid group includes a colour pigment.
 3. The radiation curable fluidaccording to claim 2, wherein the colour pigment is C.I. Pigment Blue15:4.
 4. The radiation curable fluid according to claim 2, wherein thecolour pigment is a colour pigment including a sulfonated pigmentsurface selected from the group consisting of C.I. Pigment Violet 23 andC.I. Pigment Red 57:1.
 5. The radiation curable fluid according to claim1, further comprising 0 wt % to 3 wt % of organic solvent.
 6. Aradiation curable inkjet ink including the radiation curable fluidaccording to claim
 1. 7. An inkjet printing method including the stepsof: feeding an inkjet print head with a radiation curable inkjet inkincluding: a vinylether (meth)acrylate monomer; a compound including asulfonic acid group; and a polymeric dispersant including heterocyclicgroups including hetero atoms consisting of one or two nitrogen atoms;wherein an amine value of the polymeric dispersant is at least 30 mgKOH/g; the heterocyclic groups including the hetero atoms consisting ofthe one or two nitrogen atoms include pyridine groups; the polymericdispersant is a copolymer of vinyl-2-pyridine or vinyl-4-pyridine; andthe polymeric dispersant includes an acrylate co-monomer; and jettingthe radiation curable inkjet ink onto a substrate.
 8. The inkjetprinting method according to claim 7, wherein the substrate is an opaquewhite substrate.